GOP Contender Pawlenty's Democratic Roots

7/5/2011 10:30PM

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is vying to become the next Republican president. But his hometown of South St. Paul, a working-class enclave with strong Democratic roots, has mixed feelings about its favorite son. WSJ's Neil King reports.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... tht ... this result St Paul Minnesota ... population ... just over twenty thousand ... blue collar working class heavily unionized and once home to the world's largest meat packing plants ... that typically votes only one way ... yet with ... foreign embraced the Democrats in these realities of the team here in South St ... and so it's a bit unusual that a product of cell St Paul is vying to be the next Republican president of the United States ... the son of a truck driver ... Tim Polenta grew up in this house worship at this church ... went to this high school and played hockey a lot of hockey on this rank he then moved all of a miles away to the suburban town of Jeju ... he began his political career planning Commission and City Council in ten years in the Minnesota State Legislature ... he launched his two thousand two gubernatorial campaign right here at the Croatian Hall ... and was narrowly elected governor ... thanks in part to support of his own hometown ... but things changed over the next four years ... his slush local funding ... in the year or more to the right ... he won re-election in two thousand six but lost his home town ... ravaged Aceh forty two percent of the vote ... once those sentiments to remain mixed ... the plant is politics as well as his presidential chances in twenty twelve ... some people they're seeing him as a favorite song ... now we have great freedom slash carries the same time it's obvious that tends to Temple any so we will be at the polls opened for ... others though say his policies as governor have hurt his standing at home and across much of the state ... were buried in the snow ... new lending ... in many of the people and talking to people ... nobody's business and Edward ... Island ... this topic this ... is from ... but ... there were consequences in terms ... of ... what happened when ... how stable the government owned and ... we're dealing with them still ... when she is assured of winning over GSEs own family ... then plenty of public works attendant ... says he finds it hard to believe his own brother is running for president ... it is really ... real ... my ... amazing are a lot of people who live in a moment ... the ... thing that ... interests you ... please ... small towns can get Tripoli ... there's a certain sense of ... this event yet ... what gives him the right to it ... and it becomes a success ... it's not can supply match or people with actually stated that way ... I think it's more of a ... certain subtle ... psychological and their current case ... and ... as much as they might wish to individual gridlock and hope they succeed ... they still that sense of ... how this is the best listener land Rover Towanda Libya ... what the still remains well back in the back of the twenty twelve race ... that has begun didn't show up in national polls as introduces himself along the way ... of the son of a truck driver from South St Paul ... for The Wall Street Journal ... this is Neil King